The Birth Story of Lottie | Jacksonville Birth Photographer
I so enjoyed being alongside these sweet parents as they welcomed their surprise baby girl! This mama wrote her story below. The birth film and selected photos follow.
I approached this birth with the intention of letting go of what I couldn’t control and surrendering to however it progressed. I would be grateful for however the baby would come into the world, and embrace the experience no matter what. This was a marked mindset shift after my first two birth experiences, where I held a particular experience so closely. It was painful when it didn’t happen.
My first birth was an induction that ended up being extremely challenging and traumatic. Despite a healthy baby and mother, I dealt with disappointment in my body for not doing what it was “supposed” to do, as well as emotional scars in a process that just never seemed to work.
Heading into my second birth, I hoped for a different experience but knew better than to hold on too tight to that desire. I still deeply wanted a natural birth, and I’m grateful that I was able to deliver him in a beautiful and fast unmedicated labor. It was a redeeming experience but it also taught me that neither birth was more valid than the other.
Lotties birth more closely mirrored my first. I needed an induction. This time I embraced the promise I made to myself that if I ever needed an induction again, I would accept relief when I felt like I needed it. I knew what it took to endure an unmedicated labor, and also that there were other ways to do it.
The surprise induction brought forth a lot of traumatic memories I never expected to come flooding back, and days of prodromal labor left me exhausted both emotionally and physically before it ever started. As labor progressed with Pitocin and other interventions, I knew I wanted pain relief and I felt so empowered in asking for it.
The medication didn’t kick in until it was time to push, but those moments were my favorite of the entire experience. We had waited 40 weeks to find out if we were having a boy or a girl, and I felt amazing as we watched her crown. In between pushes, we smiled and cried as we locked eyes, knowing it was only moments until we could hold her. Hearing my husband announce we had a baby girl was the best part of all, and I cherish those sweet early moments where we just wanted to soak her in.
In hindsight, Lottie’s birth was also extremely healing. As each stage of the induction progressed effectively, it restored my faith in the power of medicine in birth. I’m grateful we live in a time where we have the ability to intervene when health requires it, and do not take for granted our body’s ability to deliver these miracles. I am also so grateful for an amazing birth team that embraced my decisions.
Birth Team:
Midwife Anah - Full Circle Women’s Care
I adore the way Erin tells stories with her work. I was really looking forward to letting her simply respond and do her thing as the birth progressed. It was never about making sure she got that “perfect” shot, but instead allowing her to tell the story. The photos she captured blew me away. She caught the affection of my husband; the way he held me when it hurt and made me smile the other times. I’m so glad she was with us in the delivery room and would recommend her to anyone looking to capture their birth experience!
